Dr. Peter Hotez was quoted in an IRIN news article where he discusses Leishmaniasis among Syrian refugees.

"Known as “the Aleppo Evil”, the disease's medieval nickname belies the fact that - while it has been endemic in Syria and the Middle East for centuries - it has largely been constrained to regions surrounding the northern city, Syria’s second largest. “But this is also a disease that is linked closely to human migration,” says Hotez. “Refugees are sleeping outdoors where they have no protection from sandflies, populations are moving through Aleppo that have no previous exposure to the disease, and access to health care is nonexistent. It creates a perfect storm that allows `the Aleppo Evil’ to take hold.”